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Subjects › Governance › Special Purpose Districts › Regional Fire Protection Service Authorities
Updated 02/2012

Regional Fire Protection Service Authorities

Contents

Introduction

Regional fire protection service authorities (RFPSA) were authorized in 2004. The legislature noted that the ability to respond to emergency situations by many of Washington State's fire protection jurisdictions had not kept up with the state's needs, particularly in urban regions and that efficiencies could be gained by regional fire protection service delivery. This page provides information on the formation of RFPSAs. It includes jurisdictions in the planning committee stage, those that did not bring the RFPSA to a vote, and one that failed to pass when put before the voters.

About Regional Fire Protection Service Authorities

A regional fire protection service authority is a special purpose district created by the vote of the people residing in the proposed district. It is a municipal corporation, an independent taxing authority within the meaning of article 7, section 1 of the state constitution, and a taxing district within the meaning of article 7, section 2 of the state constitution. Its boundaries are coextensive with two or more adjacent fire protection jurisdictions (fire district, city, town, port district, or Indian tribe). The first step in forming the district is to create a regional fire protection service authority planning committee to draft a regional fire protection service authority plan. The planning committee is composed of three elected officials appointed by the governing bodies of each of the participating fire protection jurisdictions.

Upon receipt of the regional fire protection service authority plan, the governing bodies of fire protection jurisdictions may certify the plan to the ballot and put the plan before the voters for their approval or rejection. A single ballot measure may approve formation of the authority and the plan. If a simple majority of votes cast are in favor, the district is declared organized by resolution of the county commissioners. The governing board of the authority is determined by the plan and is to consist solely of elected officials. It is responsible for the execution of the voter-approved plan. Participating jurisdictions must review the plan every ten years.

Regional Fire Protection Service Authorities

  • Kent Fire Department Regional Fire Authority (King County) - Includes City of Kent and King County FPD No. 37 (Covington annexed) - Election held April 27,2010 - Effective July 1, 2010
    • Joint Resolution (Adobe Acrobat Document) - Kent Resolution No. 1820 and King County FPD No. 37 Resolution No. 353 - Submits regional fire authority proposition to the voters; includes RFPSA plan, passed 01/17/2010
    • Proposition 1 Ballot (Adobe Acrobat Document)
  • Riverside Fire Authority (Lewis County) - City of Centralia and Lewis County Fire District No. 12 - Election in November 2007
  • South Whatcom Fire Authority (Whatcom County) - Whatcom County FPD Nos. 2 , 6, 9, and 10 - Election in November 2008
  • Valley Regional Fire Authority (King County) - Cities of Algona, Auburn, and Pacific - Election in November 2006, formed in January 2007
  • South East Thurston Fire Authority (Thurston County) - Includes Yelm, Thurston County FPD No. 2, FPD No. 4 (Rainier annexed) - Election held on February 9, 2010
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  • West Thurston Regional Fire Authority (Thurston County) - Includes Thurston County FPD No.1 and Thurston County FPD No.11 - Election in August 2009

    Proposed Regional Fire Protection Service Authorities

    • Bremerton/South Kitsap Fire and Rescue Regional Fire Authority
      • Original proposal was called West Sound Fire Rescue Regional Fire Authority Planning Committee - Included City of Bremerton, Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue, and South Kitsap Fire and Rescue (Port Orchard annexed) - Participants opted out of plan September 2009. See Kitsap Sun article West Sound Fire Authority Disbands, by Josh Farley, 09/15/2009
    • Brier, Edmonds, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace and Mukilteo, Woodway and Snohomish County Fire District Nos. 1 and 7 Regional Fire Authority Planning
      • Edmonds Resolution No. 1243 (Adobe Acrobat Document - Creates a planning committee to consider a regional fire authority, passed 01/04/2011
    • Clark County Fire and Rescue, Clark County Fire District No. 2, Battle Ground, and Woodland
      • Woodland Resolution No. 608 () - Authorizes city to participate in draft plan for formation of a regional fire service protection authority, passed 02/06/2012
    • North Lewis Regional Fire Authority - City of Chehalis, Lewis County Fire District No. 5, and Riverside Fire Authority
    • Port Angeles Fire Department and Clallam County Fire District No. 2 Consolidation Feasibility Study
    • Prosser - Proposition failed to pass at the November 2010 general election
      • Prosser Resolution No. 09-1269 (Adobe Acrobat Document) - Participation on a planning committee to explore the formation of a regional fire protection service authority with Benton County Fire District No.3 and the Prosser Fire District No. 3, passed 03/24/2009
      • Prosser Resolution No. 09-1284 (Adobe Acrobat Document) and attached funding agreement (Adobe Acrobat Document) - Approving a Regional Fire Authority Planning Committee Funding Agreement between Benton County Fire Protection District No. 3 and the City of Prosser, passed 03/24/2009
    • Wenatchee, Chelan County FPD No. 1 and Douglas County FPD No. 2 - Douglas Fire District withdrew June 2011, Chelan County FPD No. 1 drafting resolution to withdraw in March 2012.
      • Wenatchee Resolution No. 2010-70 (Adobe Acrobat Document) - Approves the formation of a regional fire protection authority planning committee, passed 12/09/2010
    • Yakima - Union Gap Regional Fire Authority Study Group - Yakima, Union Gap, Yakima County Fire District No. 10 (Fruitvale), and Yakima County Fire District No. 11 (Broadway)

    Fire District Informational Meetings

    • East County Regional Fire Planning Committee - According to news clippings, the committee was formed by Eastside Fire and Rescue to study the formation of a regional fire protection service authority; includes representatives from the cities of Issaquah and North Bend, and King County Fire Districts No. 10 (Carnation annexed), No. 27, No. 38, No. 45 (Duvall annexed), and No. 51. Steering Committee meeting held August 31, 2010. King County Fire District No. 10 passed a resolution to withdraw from the Eastside Regional Fire Authority Planning Committee, October 19, 2011 Meeting Minutes